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A Rebel in NYC climbed the 12+storey Unisphere to hang a banner over Brazil, highlighting the crisis in the Amazon.
Dear rebels,
As you may know, the international newsletter team is taking a break for a couple of issues to make sure we’re in top shape for the October Rebellion. However, the news never sleeps.
In light of this, here’s a round-up of some important announcements for XR UK as we go into the final month before the 7th of October.
We’ve got some key events this month for any rebels itching for some action, as well as lots of opportunities to get skilled up and ready to rebel.
There’s the Dover blockade action happening on the 21st, a talk in Parliament for your MP on the 9th, and the second wave of Paint the Streets will be breaking on a street near you from the 14th.
We have a month to sound the alarm and get as many people as possible out on the streets on 7th October.
We need everyone. If you think you’ve got nothing to offer the
Rebellion, think again. Can you chop carrots? You’re in. Can you ride a
bike? We need you. Can you stick a sticker on a lamppost? Yes, you
guessed it, we’ll have you too. Fill out this form to see all the roles we have and how you can play your part (however small!) in the next historic phase of our movement.
If you need or could offer a fellow rebel a place to sleep over the Rebellion (bed/sofa/floor), please fill out this form.
We encourage you to take to social media in this crucial month before the 7th October. You might simply share the event (a super effective way to spread the word). If you’re feeling brave, consider sharing the reasons why you will be taking to the streets in October.
We want to put people at the centre of our messaging, and hear all the voices and personal reasons for joining this struggle. Here’s an example. Do tag your local XR group and feel free to punctuate your post with #MomentofTruth and/or #HumansOfXR.
Check out our events page to find a training near you; and if you live in Wales, London or Brighton why not get down and skill up at a Rebel Rising festival?
We know there’s been a serious amount of brilliant stuff happening all over the country, be it trainings, actions, or the unassuming hard work and planning taking place at so many local meetings which will bear so much fruit in one month’s time.
We can’t cover it all, but we’d like to give a massive shout out to the Northern rebels who we hope are taking some well-earned rest after their magnificent Manchester-based Rebellion last week. You can read an account from a Northern rebel here.
And in a similar spirit, we can’t hope to convey the incredible scale of preparations now taking place on the international scale - but if this heart-warming account from XR France’s summer camp is anything to go by, then things are going to be good.
And to top it all off, we’ve got the Global Climate Strike and Earth Strike starting from the 20th of September. It can only be global warming making Christmas come this early...
NEW VIDEO: CHANGE IS COMING
We also have a new rebellion.global International site!
To add your action to the international map, see here.
To learn more about how you can help, and about XR’s history and values, please check out our guide.
To connect to rebels in your local area, find your nearest XR group on this map. If there’s no active group near you, you can start your own! Stay up to date with local upcoming events here, or start your own event by filling in our talks and trainings form!
If you can support us financially, see here to donate now.
UK rebels, sign up to Inside XR for a weekly round-up of activity from national working groups. If you fancy joining the national team, check out the Rebel University buddy scheme.
Previous newsletter issues can be found here.
Upcoming Events
Dover - No Food on a Dying Planet
21 SEP | Dover
On Saturday 21st, Extinction Rebellion will be causing 4 hours of severe traffic delays and chaos in Dover by blocking major roads which link Dover to the continent.
This action aims to draw attention to Britain’s vulnerability to food shortages caused by ecological breakdown. The UK has more supermarkets per head than anywhere else in the world, and these rely heavily on overnight deliveries and imported goods from the EU through Dover.
The international circulation of food is under increasingly serious threat. Disruption caused by this action is minuscule compared to the horrors ahead.
This prelude to the October Rebellion will be powerful and seen by the world.
We need you in Dover. There are loads of ways to get involved, we need arrestees, creative ‘artivists’, wellbeing supporters, cooks, stewards, de-escalators, performers, general supporters, and more. Sign up to take part in this action here.
Check out this volunteer briefing document for more information about the action and how to support it.
Heading for Extinction in Parliament
09 SEP | Westminster
We are taking the truth about the climate and ecological crisis to the House of Commons. We need our MPs to understand the extent of the crisis, and commit to urgent action. More here.
SOUND THE ALARM at the Labour Party Conference
22 SEP | Brighton
Join us in Brighton to make some noise at the 5-day Labour Party Conference, one of the biggest and most high profile political events in Europe. 13,000 guests are expected, so let’s turn up in force on the streets to ensure the emergency is top of their list of concerns.
Announcements
Action Support
We are looking to connect with Arrestee Support teams from all sites engaged in October’s Rebellion. Whether you are a Site Arrestee Support Coordinator or generally interested in learning more, we would like to invite you to an onboarding Zoom call on Monday Sep 9, 8pm (link here).
To help us schedule future dates, fill in this form and email [email protected] with subject ‘Briefing: Arrestee Support for October’s Rebellion’ so we can let you know what dates we decide. We will try to record materials.
This link will take you to a list of roles for Arrestee Support in the October Rebellion and some of the trainings we are offering to help develop them.
Check out this doc for info on Action Support trainings.
Find out more about the Regenerative Action Cycle here.
Pre-Action Prep: Emotional, Practical and Legal
No sacrifice exists without cost, but it helps to be prepared and grounded in the support of our rebel community.
We have prepared this simple resource to help rebels make informed choices about their actions and whether to risk arrest.
Three Demands Bill
In an exciting step for rebels everywhere, XR UK has drafted a parliamentary bill - The Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill. It contains Extinction Rebellion’s three demands. If it is passed by parliament, these demands will become law.
We need as many MPs as possible to support this Bill. Read more about the bill and how you can help here.
New Video: ‘The Deliberate Rebellion’
The Citizens’ Assembly group teamed up with All Hands On and Massive Attack to create The Deliberate Rebellion, an awesome film all about XR’s third demand around new tools for real democracy. Check it out here.
Download Telegram App for October
Effective communication is key to making decisions during a Rebellion. We’ve decided to use Telegram for the October Rebellion. Telegram will allow us to take mass polls, include up to 200,000 people in a chat, and make channels based on location e.g. a site.
We encourage all rebels to download Telegram and start using it in their teams, especially site coords and points.
Arts Resources
Let’s get to work to make this the most exuberant and colourful Rebellion ever!
The all-encompassing design programme V1.1 is now available for download with all the most recent design assets. All XR Art Blocker resources can be found here.
Arts Working Group Guidelines document is now available with contact information for various departments.
Get in touch with [email protected] if you’d be up for joining the Art Logistics or Site Dressing teams to help our sites look truly awesome.
Future Democracy Hub - Launch Webinar
10 SEP | 19:30 - 21:00 | Online Launch
Future Democracy Hub is launching and you are invited to a launch webinar on 10th September at 7.30pm, Zoom link here.
In XR, we are calling for a transformation in our democracy to facilitate the necessary changes to address the climate and ecological emergency for all of us.
To be successful, we believe we need new democratic tools to be embedded into the DNA of our culture at all levels, from local communities to the highest levels of government.
The Future Democracy Hub is a central online location and resource to support the transformation to a more deliberative democracy.
At the launch, we will introduce the Hub and the tools that are available for anyone to use. We will also have a short live session so you can experience participating in a simple deliberative process.
The XR Future Democracy Hub site is live now!
Inside XR UK
Good news - this is not the only newsletter! You can sign up to our separate internal news email for a weekly round-up of activity from the UK national team, including working groups like Arts, Legal, Political, Talks & Trainings, and much more.
With all the amazing work going on, it’s a chance to touch base, get alongside each other, and make sure we’re moving forward together.
This informative guide was used in XR Islington’s recent protest at the World Aviation Festival.
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Thank you for reading.
As we enter this crucial phase in human history, our Rebellion needs money to make sure our message is heard. Anything you can give is appreciated.
